Theory of Mind and Cerebellum

In recent decades, the consensus has been reached about the role of the cerebellum in social cognition. In addition to its well-known role in emotional processing, the specific involvement of the cerebellum in modulating theory of mind (ToM) abilities has been documented. With a focus on this topic, we open the current chapter with a general introduction of the definition of ToM and the importance of considering the cerebellum as a crucial hub in the brain network involved in predicting mental states and related behaviors, function needed to adaptively engage in social interactions. We then report the recent advances on cerebro-cerebellar circuits related to ToM functions as studied on healthy subjects, and we emphasize the cerebellar sequential and predictive coding as responsible for cerebellar modulation on ToM-related cortical areas. Afterward, we highlight the effects of cerebellar damages on ToM impairments focusing on clinical populations, starting from patients with primary cerebellar damages and then broadening this issue to further pathological populations. Specifically, we take into account other neurological conditions, together with psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, whose ToM and resulting social struggles have also been linked to cerebellar structural or functional alterations. Conclusively, we briefly outline the significance of the collected findings on cerebellar functioning related to clinical practice and to the implementation of therapeutic interventions aiming at improving ToM and social skills.